One act play

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A one act play, or more commonly "one act", or "one-act", is a short play that takes place in one act or scene, as opposed to plays that take place over a number of scenes in one or more acts. They tend to be simpler and have fewer props, scenery and cast members (sometimes only one). Such plays are often showcased in a series. They are ideal for high school or college drama students as well as small venues and dinner theaters. Unlike other plays which usually are published one play per book, one acts are usually published in anthologies or collections. David Ives's book All in the Timing includes examples of one act plays.

Often, theatre groups stage a night of one acts, performing anywhere from 2 to 20 one acts in a single night. In recent years the 10 minute play has emerged as a popular sub-genre of the one act play.

The origin of the one act play can be traced back almost to the very beginning of drama. The Cyclops, a satyr play by Euripides, is an early example of the one act play^[1].